Hellraiser - Inferno/Hellraiser - Bloodline [DVD]

"Hellraiser: Bloodline" took the risky step of moving the storyline into space, a cringe inducing idea at first until you actually watch the movie. Who can forget the nightmare that was "Leprechaun 4"? Fortunately, only certain segments take place on a spaceship. The majority of the film heads back to the past to explain the origins of the Lament Configuration, that dreaded box which hundreds of seekers have opened only to find the Cenobites waiting for them. Dr. Paul Merchant (Bruce Ramsey) locked himself away on the spaceship because he wants to destroy this infernal device once and for all. A group of marines arrives on the ship to take the "mad" doctor into custody. During his detainment he tells a dark story about his family's history, about how his ancestor Phillipe Merchant designed the box in the eighteenth century for a decadent French nobleman who wished to plumb the dark depths. The box does its job, horribly so, conjuring up a demon named Angelique (Valentina Vargas) who promptly carves up people left and right. Unfortunately for Merchant, the box somehow curses his bloodline. Every one of his descendants will suffer because of the Lament Configuration. Watch the hijinks unfold!

"Inferno" is a cracking good tale about a cop, Detective Joseph Thorne (Craig Sheffer), and his descent into madness. While investigating a horrendous crime scene at the house of a man Thorne knew in high school, the cop discovers the Lament Configuration and wonders what it is. He also finds a finger left behind by someone called the Engineer. Then we learn more about Joseph. Although married to a beautiful woman who bore him a delightful child, Thorne spends most of his time away from the house shaking down criminals, using narcotics, and taking free favors from women of the night. His partner Tony Nenonen (Nicholas Turturro) has no idea what his partner is up to, which suits Thorne just fine. In fact, no one knows what this corrupt cop is doing except the people he leans on for personal gain when he should bring them up on charges. When Thorne heads to a local hotel with a woman who is not his wife, he inadvertently opens the box. What follows is at times confusing and gory, but it is easy to forget one simple thing in the unfolding madness: Thorne did open the Lament Configuration. Again, remember that Thorne DID open the Lament Configuration. Keeping this fact in the forefront of your memory will help you follow the story.

"Hellraiser: Bloodline" is an uneven film anyway you slice it. Director Kevin Yagher withdrew from the production after his studio heavily interfered in the project. Thus, the film carries the dreaded "Alan Smithee" label, a moniker all too familiar to moviegoers in the know. The result of this turmoil behind the scenes set the movie adrift, so someone decided to just slap the whole thing together and dump the final result in the video stores. That's a real shame as "Bloodlines" has at its center an interesting premise for fans of the series: how the box came about and how it was first used to conjure up evil. With "Inferno," certain fans continue to lament the decline of the series. Barker was long gone by the time "Inferno" hit video store shelves, but that doesn't mean we can't find something to like here. Sure, the movie confuses until you hear Pinhead wax on the morality of man as he shows Thorne just what his destiny has become. But the new Cenobites were appropriately grotesque, the special effects looked good, and even the acting is an improvement over many movies in the series. Can any viewer convince himself or herself for a second that most of the performances in the first two films were anything other than complete drivel? Heck no! I've seen better acting in a kindergarten play than I did in the first few films. Here, Sheffer does an acceptable turn as the corrupt Joseph, as does Turturro in the role of concerned partner Nenonen. Doug Bradley is as fantastic as ever as Pinhead even though the script dramatically reduced his role to a walk on part.

"Bloodline" and "Inferno" are good additions to your DVD collection. As for the extras on the discs, "Bloodline" contains a trailer for "Children of the Corn 666" and not much else. "Inferno" has more extras, including a short special effects video about the Lament Configuration and an interview with Doug Bradley. Ultimately, I thought "Inferno" vastly superior to its predecessor, but both films entertain adequately enough. Give 'em a chance.